The Hazel Green herald. [volume] (Hazel Green, Wolfe County, Ky.) 1885-19??, 1887-08-05

Chihowie mountains, south OF where
Knoxville now stands.
A few weeks ago, q small party of gen.
tlemen, one of whom was named Swift,
who carried in a satchel some soilcd and
ancient looking parchment documents,
arrived in Eastern Kentucky, ostensibly
on aprospecting tour, for mountain lands,
attracted, rs they said, by Proctor's re-
port of the Pound Gap Region, and Gov
ernor Knots address before the State
College, at Lexington. They Travelled
over the counties of Morgan, Wolfe, Men
flee, Breathitt and Magofin, and that
part of Knott county taken from Breath
lit and Perry. Among those who were
enlisted by them in their enterprise, and
promised share of the profits if he
would accompany them, was Mr., Spen-
Ger Cooper, formerly of Lexington, but
now editor Of the HAZEL GREEN HER.
AID. 1t is a strange coincidence, that
the papers in the possession of Swift,
which had been written out by his great
grandfather, also gave Old Abraham,
the Cherokee chief, as his authority for
the existence of the mine.
how THE MINE WAS FOUND.
Mr.. Swift and companions, accompanied
by Mr.. Cooper, and frequently consult
ing the aged documents, commenced the
search, examining carefully the banks
along the streams. They examined II
number of them and had almost con-
cluded to abandon further search, when
they came TO "A place which seemed to
suit description laid down in the paper.
Proceeding up the stream to its head,
they crossed Il fiat country and reached
Il small stream, down which they pro-
Cccded, observing new evidences of the
correctness of their course, rs described
in the papers. This stream was branch
Of Little Sandy. They then crossed to
stream in Wolfe county, and came up
on a peculiar large rock, described in the
document. Turning To the left, Mr..
John Tom Hazclrigg, Of West Liberty,
who was one of the party, had his atten-
ton attracted To some bushes. Pulling
| these aside, he discovered the mouth of
cave, about three feet wide and seven
feet high Entering this, the party found
that it widcned to breadth of ten feet,
| dcbOuching into large chamber, which
shonc with rare brlliancy, as if lighted
! up by some unseen agency. This cham
Der was about one hundred and fifty feet
long by seventy-iivG feet wide, with an
archcd dome of vast height. From the
latter depended stalactities covered with
! silvcr-liEe iuCrustationS, the whole shin
ing brightly, Us with phosphorescent
glow. IL was n scene Of magnihcence
that awcd by its splcndOr the entire par.
ty, who stood for some time gazing in
mute wonder. After viewing for while
this scene of rare magnficence, the par
! " proceeded t0 look about them. Mr..
! Cooper going in advance of the party,
ran across what ut q short distance appear
ed to be sleeping human forms. These,
! being examined, were found TO be- petri-
fled Indian coTpscs. Their scant clothing
appeared as perfect as if they had just
laid down to sleep, and near each of the
three bodies lag bow and arrows, n TOM
ahawk of stone, and deer skin pouch
filled with pieces of ore. The bodies were
petriiicd from the action Of the saltpctrc
atmosphere of the cave. Each one of
| the corpscs had tomahawk wound on the
head, showing that they had probably
been killed by other Indians, while ut
work in the cave. How long these bodies
had lain there is only matter Of conject-
urc. The features looked as natural az
those of life, but all was petriiied. Even
the hair on the deer.skin pouch was
turned TO- stone, and broke off like glass
when Touched. These curious relics have
been preserved by Mr.. Cooper. 1t is
probable that the cave became known, to
other Indians than the original discover
crs, and that the intruders we're attacked
and murdered by those who lay in wait
| for them i'm the dark cavern, A short
distance further on, another body was
found, wounded in similar manner. The
features appeared TO be those of a white
man, but the dress was that of nm Indian.
This body was leaning against the wall,
and ut his feet lay large pieces Of ore
which had been broken of with heavy
stone hammer like those grOOved ham
mars often found in Central Kentucky
and made of gray granite. The marks
on the vail showed that he had been
hewing the ore of when surprised and
killed
The party left two of their number to
guard the entrance and returned 20 Ha-
eel Green, concealing their wonderful
discovery. Ascertaining who owned the
land, they purchased the tract Of five
thousand acres and obtained clear title
and deed to 1t, paying two dollars per
acre. The matter is still kept secret from
the people in that section. The quanti.
ty OF silver showing on the walls Of the
cave, indicate vast extent OF IL in the
mountain which rises above 10 about
seven hundred feet. A gentleman form.
crly connected with the Geological
Survey, has tested the ore, aud says IL Ii
pure galcna, and will yield 600 % the
ton, with considerable trace Of gold ia